Mid Island Cabinets

Hard working employees producing beautiful cabinets

Beautiful workmanship. Above and beyond our wildest expectations.

In November 2020 I contracted with Dave at Mid Island Cabinets to have new kitchen cabinets, new countertops and an island installed in my townhouse in Parksville.
Dave assisted me in picking out the cupboards, countertops, handles, colours, etc and came to my townhouse, and measured everything out.
Due to Covid (I was told), my installation date was bumped back once, perhaps twice and the cabinets were installed in March 2021.
The February date for installation came and went, and it was I who had to follow up for a firm install date. On March 11th or 12th I received a call from the PM asking if she could arrange to have the cabinets dropped off that afternoon, giving me no notice at all. I said no: I was at work. She asked if they could drop them off at 9am on Monday, March 15th, so I made arrangements for someone to be there.
By 10am, when the cabinets hadn't been delivered, I called the PM who brushed me off, saying she had forgotten to ensure the truck was loaded up with the cabinets to be ready to go first thing Monday. She said the truck could be there by 11.30, which it was, but it wasted 2.5 hours of our time.
I was then told on Monday that my cabinets were supposed to have been already removed, and that they would be charging me $700 for the removal, though this was never communicated to me when Dave was in my suite, or when he was drawing up the estimate or the contract. Additionally, at no point did the project manager advise me that by such and such a date I would have to remove all the cabinetry to allow them to install. When I advised Dave that I disputed this charge he immediately flew off the handle and raised his voice to me and at no point took any responsibility for the miscommunication.
Regardless, they removed the existing cabinets and installed the new ones within one business day (it is a very small kitchen).
In addition, my sink hadn't arrived, and I was told I needed to provide Mid Island with a template to accurately cut out the countertop. I was unaware that this was "a thing" as I had never done a kitchen reno before (that's why I thought I was hiring professionals!). I didn't get the sink in time and, while Dave said he'd cut the counter out personally when I did receive it, my plumber ultimately had to cut the countertop at my expense. Mid Island credited me $25.
My final invoice included the $700 charge and I asked for someone other than Dave to contact me regarding my issues.
I spoke to Guy (unsure of his role) and explained how the installation had been delayed, that I wasn't told I was expected to remove the cabinetry, and how someone waited on them for 2.5 hours on Monday morning, to which he said something like "well I don't know anything about that, sorry". I asked, given the delays on the reno, and having had a hard time getting a firm start date, at what point was I supposed to remove my cabinets? Based on when they had initially said they would be installed, had I removed my cabinets, I would have been without a kitchen for between 2 weeks to a month. Guy said that wasn't his issue.
He said Mid Island had to pay for the removal and disposal, but that he would knock $100 off my bill. I asked him to forward me the cost to recycle the cabinets and I would gladly pay it, but he told me to forget it. I stated again I was not paying the $700, and he could take me to small claims court if he wished, and he said he would.
While Mid Island may offer a quality product, I will never do business with them again, nor would I recommend them for their lack of customer service. It is unfortunate, because I was hoping to use them for a kitchen renovation at a rental property in Nanaimo, but will definitely go elsewhere next time.
I will update here any further communication I have with Mid Island regarding the outstanding balance, or if any attempt is made to resolve this issue, or if/when they wish to go to small claims court.

Mid Island cabinets was involved in our major house renovation four years ago. We had them design, create, and install a custom kitchen, three bathrooms and the fireplace mantle shelving unit. We had a very good (read 5 star) experience with all the staff, from the show room personnel to the installers and especially the sales representative and designer. We received excellent advice, prompt service, great communication, and the products have withstood the test of time so far. As a testament to our satisfaction with Mid Island Cabinets, we just recently hired them back to create a custom built in book shelf specifically designed for an existing 'nook'. I described what I wanted and they created it to match the existing kitchen and fireplace. From first contact to finished installation took 2 months to the day. Very impressive. The result is exactly what we wanted and the workspace was left clean and tidy. I can't praise the customer service and workmanship highly enough. Keep up the good work, guys!

Good quality cabinets. Paint is very good quality and lasts longer than other fabricators finishes. Had them installed over 5 years ago. The installer Claude was very good and meticulous.